Five Letter Word for Family
by KissofJudas
Summary: It's Thanksgiving - what do the Turks have to be thankful for? Crosswords and unexpected visitors, that's what. Rewrite of an old story, still a little rough. Should fit in personal canon.


"It's not Christmas, you know!"

"Reno, shut the window." The redhead had been shouting at the carol singers for at least fifteen minutes now, and while his insults and threats had grown progressively more entertaining, the temperature in the already cold apartment was dropping, and Tseng wasn't standing for it anymore. "They're not doing anything."

"They're annoying the fuck out of me, is what they're doing," Reno grumbled, but obliged by shutting the window. "Can't get away from them anywhere in this damn apartment."

Tseng tossed the newspaper he'd been reading to the side and stood. "Good, then I have an idea for you."

"On second thought, maybe it's not so bad."

Tseng just glared at his second in command. "I need you to go into town. Rufus ordered a turkey for Thanksgiving for the Turks-"

Reno snorted. "Turkey for the Turks."

"Reno..." The redhead just grinned and put a hand over his mouth. "As I was saying, Rufus ordered a turkey for us as a gift. I need you to go to Sector Four and pick it up. It's at the market we usually do our shopping at, so I presume you can find your way. Go, pay the nice man behind the counter that works there, get the turkey, and come straight back here. No detours through Wall Market. The demimondaines can wait."

"I don't know nothing about no demon Danes, Tseng, but I think I can handle a turkey."

"Wonderful. Go." Reno mock saluted and grabbed his coat, ducking out the door to the garage. Rude came in a moment later, and pointed at the newspaper. "I'm done with it if you want it."

"You do the crosswords?"

"Nope." Rude nodded and picked up the paper, taking it over to the kitchen table before sitting down with it. "Heard from Rufus?"

"Still at home, for now. Not sure what the plan is." Tseng nodded. He'd never pressed to know why, but Rude was the authority on all things relating back to the vice president of their company. Given that when Reno had asked whether Rude was dating Rufus for his looks or his money, Rude had nearly put his teammate through a wall...

Tseng knew better than to ask.

"Well, let me know if he figures out if he can come, all right?" Rude nodded.

Elena was the next in the room, bringing in a cold blast of air from outside with her. "Damn it's cold out there. Hey boys." The two waved in her general direction. "Who's planning on burning down the house in the process of cooking dinner tonight?"

"Rufus ordered a turkey, which Reno is picking up. The rest I haven't figured out yet. It shows up; it always does," Tseng called back from his place at the fridge.

"You honestly don't have a plan?" Elena perched on the edge of a counter. "Man, and I thought the surprises were over. You boys can't be left to fend for yourselves."

"The food will come," Rude replied simply. "Four across: sector of great renown for its victuals." The dark brown eyes flicked up from the paper. "Victuals?"

"Three." Elena's response was almost too quick. When the two men in the room looked over at her, she just blushed. "It means food. My aunt lived in Sector Three for a while; that's where Chez Morphée is." Rude nodded, going back to his puzzle. Elena looked over at Tseng. "Anything in specific I should know about tonight or anything?"

"It's just Thanksgiving, Elena." Tseng's phone jangled, and he flipped it open. "Tseng."

"Hey – it's me." It was Reno, sounding unimpressed. "We got a problem."

"You got lost?"

"Very fucking funny, bossman. I'm at the market – but they don't have our turkey. They said they 'accidentally' sold it to someone else."

"They sold it?" Tseng was aghast.

"Yeah – and they're clean out now. I sure as hell ain't eating Spam for Thanksgiving again – what's the backup plan?"

Tseng looked over at Rude, who had looked up from his paper again. The silent one just shook his head; an indication that he didn't have a better plan either. "I... Just come home, okay Reno? We'll figure out something here." Reno made a sound of acquiescence and the connection dropped.

Elena watched as Tseng hung up the phone in silence. "What are we going to do now?"

"Good question."

There was a long pause before Rude stepped up to break the awkward silence. "Thirteen across: area Joseph Lander was from. Can't remember – who's that?"

"The first person to settle the area where Midgar is now," Tseng said off hand. "He's related to me on my mom's side of the family; he's from Wutai."

Rude didn't respond immediately. "Wutau doesn't fit. Second letter is R, six letters long."

"Tranir. It's a suburb."

Elena peered over Rude's shoulder as he penciled in Tseng's answer. "Two down: first name of President Shinra's wife. I didn't know her name was Madeline."

"Good woman," Rude replied.

"You've met her?" The man nodded. Elena seemed impressed. "Huh. I didn't even know he was married."

"Rufus had to have a mother."

"Well, with all the names people throw around, he could have been illegitimate. I've heard the president hangs out in Wall Market."

Rude looked up at that. "She wasn't a whore."

"I didn't say she was. Just said she could have been." When Rude set down his pencil, Tseng moved to intervene.

"Elena? Drop it." The sole woman on the team just sighed heavily and made to flounce out of the room, but there was a knock at the door before she could.

She pulled on the door, and another familiar blonde walked in, straightening his hair from where the wind had tousled it. "Oh – evening, Mr. Vice President."

Rufus just smiled at her, flicking his hair to the side. "Just Rufus will suffice, Elena, at least while we're among pleasant company. Evening to you, and you, Tseng – Rude."

"Evening, Rufus," Tseng replied with a smile, offering Rufus a hand to shake. It was always a treat for the Turks to be able to see the vice president off of work time; the blonde was insistent on a lack of formality that the company just didn't quite cater to.

Rude just nodded, and Rufus smirked. "Crossword puzzle?" Rude moved the paper up for a moment and Rufus laughed. "Some things never change." The vice president shrugged out of his coat, and it almost took Tseng a moment to recognize him. Seeing the VP outside of work also meant he wasn't in the classic black-and-white outfit, either. In his khaki pants and a light green button-up shirt, he almost could have passed for a civilian.

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news just as you walk in, but I do have a bit of a problem at hand." Rufus raised an eyebrow to Tseng, and Elena took the opportunity to snag the young man's coat to hang it up.

Rufus just cast a quick smile to Elena before turning back to Tseng. "What's that?"

"We don't exactly have a dinner. None of the other dishes have been made yet, and Reno said that the market lost the turkey."

Rufus blinked. "Lost...the turkey?" Then his eyes narrowed. "They have failed me for the last time, that cursed market and their-"

The door burst open and Reno came in, followed by a few lower-ranking SOLDIERs, all carrying bags. "Comin' through, scuse me Rufus, comin' through," the redhead barked out, gently pushing everyone aside so that the three could all set the bags down on the table.

"What the hell is going on, Reno?" Tseng said, the words angrier than his tone.

"I found dinner!" Reno beamed back at his team leader. "Leo and Corey heard me complaining with the guy at the market, and they said that they'd give us their dinner plans."

One of the SOLDIERs looked over to Tseng and Rufus with a sheepish smile. "Our unit had something thought out, but we'll take the company dinner instead. It's the least we can do for all of you."

Rufus stepped forward to clap a hand on the man's shoulder. "I'll make sure it get made up to you. Thank you, SOLDIER."

"Anything, Mr. Vice President." The two saluted. "Well, we better get back to headquarters... Chief's going to wonder where we got off to."

"Blame it on me, boys," Rufus said with a wave as they left. The only response he got was laughter, but it made him smile. "How very convenient."

"Like I said to Elena – the food always gets here. Don't know how, and I don't question why. I just let it happen," Tseng replied with a smile.

Reno bounced over to Rude and hit the older man in the shoulder. "Come on, O Silent One – let's set the table." Rude stood, but his gaze never left the newspaper. "What's up?"

"Seven down: a group closer than family in truth, but more distant than enemies in tale." Reno looked around to the others as they'd filed in, and Tseng just shook his head.

"Shinra?" Rufus guessed.

Rude just shook his head. "Five letters. Last one's S."

Reno pulled on Rude's sleeve. "Come on. Give the fucking puzzle a break and let's set the table so we can _eat_ before the food gets cold."

Tseng took control. "Elena – get the cups. I'll grab silverware; Reno, Rude – get the china?" With all the precision of the well-trained team that they were, the table was set in record time; Rufus knew better than to try to do anything other than stand out of the way.

Once the table was set and they'd all taken their seats, Tseng just reached out to either side, offering them for Reno and Elena to take. Much to Elena's shock, Reno didn't even so much as snicker. Tseng glanced over at his second in command. "Care to offer a grace, Reno?" Though Elena had to stifle a giggle at the mere thought of Reno saying grace before a meal, Reno simply nodded and bowed his head.

"Let us pray." The voice was barely recognizable as Reno's, and as if compelled, everyone else's head lowered. "Spirits who have created us and continue to bless us with both unexpected food and friends, we thank you for keeping this group together through all the good and bad times. Each year is a blessing from you, Creators, and we acknowledge that now. Let the food we are about to receive go to good use, not only in our work but in our daily peaceful lives as well. We pray especially for all the victims that this cruel and unjust near-war has taken from us and delivered back to the Planet. May the violence end soon. All this we ask in Your names, Amen."

"Amen," came the response as they all loosed hands.

Elena nudged Reno from behind Tseng's back. "Never knew you had that kinda thing in you, Reno."

Reno just shrugged, a faint smile playing on his lips. "S'what we used to say when I was little. Thanksgiving was a big deal back then." Elena just smiled back at him.

The meal itself passed in relative silence, but once the food had vanished and waiting for the meal to settle before eating pie, they sat back and chatted. After a significant pause, Tseng raised a question.

"All right, Turks and honorary Turk, here's the Thanksgiving question." Reno just nodded and Rude adjusted his sunglasses. "What are we truly thankful for?"

"You start then, bossman," Reno said with a smile.

Tseng just rolled his eyes. "I start...well..." He thought for a while. "No. I want to go last." Tseng looked to Elena. "You first, Rookie."

Now it was Elena's turn to roll her eyes. "_Thanks_, Tseng." Tseng just smiled, innocence written all over his face. "I'm...I'm thankful that I have a good home to celebrate in this year...I'm thankful for you guys looking out for me...I don't know, I'm thankful I'm alive?" She shrugged, at a loss for words.

Rufus gave her a smile. "That's a good thing to be thankful for." Elena smiled bashfully. "Let's see, me next, I suppose. "I'm thankful for...well, I'm of course thankful that I have an amazing group of Turks like you guys that will let a stuffy vice-president hang out with them." The Turks laughed. "I'm thankful for the fact that Shinra's doing well... I'm thankful that my newest secretary is someone I think I can actually trust. And... I'm thankful that there are still people in this world that will put everything before themselves."

A faint smile flickered across Rude's expression before he cleared his throat. "I'm thankful for crossword puzzles." The Turks all burst into laughter, and even Rude had to smile a bit at his own joke. "But really, I'm thankful to you guys...for being my family. Home wasn't ever this nice. I'm thankful for the SOLDIERs that brought the food... and I'm thankful that I don't have to live in a house that leaks."

"Not in your room at least," Elena said, getting another big laugh. Rude just looked to Reno, who was silent for a long time.

"I'm thankful for family, both dead and alive," he started, his voice slow and remarkably serious for the redhead. "I'm thankful for you guys for keeping me alive and away from most of the shit I did back in the day...and I'm thankful to finally be in a family-like thing where people don't beat the shit out of me." Rude set a hand on Reno's shoulder that Reno just set his head on. Tseng touched Reno's arm and Reno nodded to him.

"So...I'm thankful for my amazing gang of Turks, honorary or not..." Rufus smiled at the inclusion. "I'm thankful for the Spirits giving me this many years of life, complete with good times and bad...and I'm thankful that even for a moment, all of us can set aside all the shit we do – no offense, Rufus – and have a good time like this together. You all have been my life and I don't tell any of you enough how much you all mean to me. You are my life, you are my family, you are what keeps me wanting to live from day to day. I thank _you_ for that."

"Amen," Reno whispered, his eyes hidden from view.

Suddenly Elena's head popped up. "The Turks." Everyone looked at her. She just smiled softly. "A group of people closer than family in reality, but more distant than enemies to the public eye. The Turks."

After a moment of amazed silence, Rude finally spoke up. "May the former be true forever...and may the latter be cast into the fires of Ifrit."

"**Amen!"**


End file.
